“...”

“...”

The Headmistress’ Office was engulfed in a long silence.

And the first one to break it was me.

“...You are not even gonna ask me if I had a good holiday now?”

“I don’t ask meaningless questions.”

“...”

I see.

It seemed like this person had learned about everything that happened. I couldn’t refute her words now since I understood where she came from.

“So, how was the Tristan Duchy, Dowd?”

“...It wasn’t bad.”

I was being sincere, it wasn’t bad.

Except for the fact that I left my father there.

“...? You left Viscount Campbell there? Why…?”

“The Lord held him back because he had something to say to him. I believe he said he has something to teach him?”

That was what Leonid had told me in person. He suggested that my father should stay away from the Viscounty in the meantime since he had something to teach him in person.

Of course, he emphasized several times that my father didn’t need to if he didn’t want to, but with his personality, of course he’d hastily consent to it since he couldn’t risk getting the Viscounty caught in the crossfire for rejecting the Lord.

“...”

Hearing what I said, Atalante looked at me with an uncomfortable expression.

As if she was asking me if I seriously didn’t know what it meant.

“...Isn’t that for the wedding preparation?”

“What?”

“This is something that commonly happens whenever a major noble gets married with a much lower ranking noble. It’s like a tradition when you accept a live-in son-in-law. They teach you things in advance, like giving you precautions and the risks when you get married.”

“...”

“Maybe that’s the reason why they called you and your father over in the first place…?”

“...Anyway.”

As I could feel goosebumps creeping up on my skin, I quickly changed the topic.

“You look more lively now. What happened?”

I really was curious about that, since this person’s skin was glowing brighter than usual now.

The usual Atalante always looked like a corpse—thanks to her overworking herself ever since she met me—compared to that, she looked way too different.

“...Ah, me?”

Hearing what I said, Atalante let out a smile.

It seemed like my words made her feel good or something.

“...”

Well, if it wasn’t for her dead eyes, I woulda thought that she was living the life now.

“I used a Spell. Physical Regeneration.”

“...What?”

“It’s a spell I’d usually use in an emergency. You see, if you live a long life, like me, there are times when you’d need to use something like this. Though, using this spell requires me to sacrifice my future…”

“...”

I could only sit there dumbstruck for a moment before I could even say something.

“...Isn’t that a combat Spell?”

“It is.”

“...”

I swear, this was the kind of shit that people on the verge of death would use…

And she used it to sit in her office, working on documents…

“...What in the world are you overworking yourself on?”

After hearing my question, Atalante let out the smile of an ascetic.

I could guess what she was trying to say.

It was probably something along the lines of, ‘If I could tell you what it is, I’d already tell you earlier’.

“...”

In other words…

This was a matter that even the person who was building a whole continent to hold the Devils in check for me, couldn’t reveal to me.

“...Is it really something that serious?”

This time, she glared at me angrily.

As if trying to say, ‘Did you REALLY just ask that?’.

As if I was the cause of all this.

“Of course it is, but it doesn’t matter since you’re going to carry the can anyway.”

“...”

“My suffering is over now. It’s your turn next.”

“...”

“I’m joking.”

When I saw her grinning face, I instantly broke out in cold-sweat.

I could tell that she was joking, but I could also tell that she was serious when she said that.

Seeing me staying silent without replying, the Headmistress continued while sighing.

“...Anyway, I’ll feel the rebound effect in my body in about a month and I won’t be able to move for a few days, so I’d need to deal with all the urgent matters before that happens.”

Atalante said before handing me something.

She slid something that looked like a badge towards me.

It was a copper badge with Elfante’s coat of arms. From the design, it seemed like it was supposed to be worn on the uniform.

“...This is?”

“You know that from now on, you’ll be a third-year, right?”

She replied while letting out a yawn.

“Elfante has a total of six years. From the third year onwards, you’ll officially be treated as a senior student. That thing is the ID card you’d need to wear from now on.”

Ah, right…

There was such a setting, huh?

If I remembered correctly, there was something that came with the position…

“It means that unlike before, ‘duties’ will be imposed on you too now.”

She continued while rubbing her eyes.

“You’re now in the position to guide the ‘junior students’ from now on. So, you’d need to be careful with your behavior.”

“...Is that all?”

“Nah, that was just generally speaking.”

“...”

“You’re an exception after all. Get all those women like a beast or whatever, just as you've done so far.”

“...”

I noticed this over and over, but…

It seemed that this person had put aside all pretense when she talked to me.

“But, there’s still a catch, well, it’s the only catch. There’s something you’re required to do by school regulations.”

“...”

As soon as I heard that, my expression stiffened up.

Because I roughly knew what she was talking about.

●

Thinking back, I had never focused on my school life at all.

In the past, around this time, I even received a warning from the Headmistress that if I didn't study, I might have to repeat a year.

That was why…

“...Club, huh…?”

I scratched my head while looking at the badge on my uniform.

Once a student becomes a senior student, they’d need to be ‘affiliated’ somewhere and from then on, they’d be unable to freely attend classes in the academy unlike before.

In other words, the academy wanted them to form their own ‘personal network’. Considering Elfante’s level, there was a high chance that you’d meet the people you’ve met here again in high society.

Honestly, whichever club I’d end up joining doesn’t matter…

I mean, it wasn’t like I had some kind of flaw somewhere. Blending in wasn’t a problem for me.

The problem here was…

_This is the Branching Point for the Ending. _

While joining a club didn’t seem to be a big deal at a first glance, it was actually the starting point that would decide the axis of the ‘incident’ that encompassed the entire game.

Of course, whatever I’d choose here wouldn’t decide the ending immediately, but it would at the very least have a direct effect on the ending.

The reason for this was because the characters you could meet in each of the clubs were predetermined. Think of it as you were choosing which characters’ ‘favorability’ you wanted to raise the quickest.

Riru and Seras for the Knight School, Faenol for the Magic School, Lucia and Yuria for the Theology School…

There would be some events with characters specialized in the field.

Basically, this was the point where you’d decide which characters you’d spend the ‘most time’ with.

This was something that I couldn’t avoid, and the need for me to choose where to join put me in a difficult position.

As I was racking my brain about that while walking through the corridor…

“Teaa—ach—!”

Someone pounced on me, pressed against me from behind while calling out to me.

Then, she supported my unsteady body with her body and closed my eyes with one hand.

“Guess who?”

“...”

“If you got the answer right, I’ll give you a reward!”

Oh, c’mon…

From your voice and the nickname she used, it was clear that you are Iliya…

“Ramming against my back like that, Iliya, you—”

“Since you got the answer right…”

She cut me off as she stealthily put down the hands that she used to cover my eyes.

Then, she traced down my neck to my uniform top.

“Shall I give you the reward?”

“...”

This girl…

She had been behaving well until the Harvest Festival was over, but seeing what she was doing, it was clear that she had made some kind of great ‘resolution’ during the time.

Maybe she thought that since someone else had beaten her and took my first time, she figured that she had to do it with me too, as soon as possible.

This was why, whenever she had the excuse to, she’d pounce on me, tried to act sensually while being physically affectionate with me, just like what she was doing now.

“...No, actually, I think I mistook you for someone—”

“If you don’t get the answer right, I’ll punish you.”

“...”

What are you, a robber?

Seriously, what do you want from me?

I drew in a sharp breath at the sensation that struck my body as she groped it in sensual ways.

“...Iliya, stop—”

“Ayy, it’s a joke.”

The moment I said that in a slightly serious voice—thinking that things would get a bit dangerous if this continued—Iliya immediately backed off.

“...”

I sent her a silent gaze as she smiled at me.

It was hard to deal with this punk recently since she was always acting like this.

She’d charge at me so actively and put me in a difficult position, but since she always withdrew immediately the moment I felt uncomfortable, I couldn’t say anything to reject her advances.

“Anyway! What’s bothering you? Your expression doesn’t look good.”

“...”

Seeing her asking me that question with a serious look on her face made me let out another sigh.

Seriously, I just couldn’t escape from her…

I swear after she awakened as the Hero, the level of her obsession towards me had gone up so high that it was almost comparable to Eleanor’s.

[She’s my sister and all, but I don’t know… This girl has always been a cunning fox like that…]

…Then tell me how to get her off me.

[Uh, that I don’t know either. I mean, I’ve never seen her fail to get what she wants the moment she sets her eyes into it.]

...

Seriously, you’re so useless.

I thought as such as I replied to her in resignation.

“It’s nothing, really, just… clubs…”

“...Ah, aha…”

Hearing my reply, Iliya held her chin as she began to muse on something while making a ‘hmm’ sound.

“So you’re suffering since you’re stuck between your women again. Am I wrong?”

“...”

Fuck, she hits the bullseye.

But yeah, no matter which club I’d join, there's bound to be someone who’d get dissatisfied by it.

I let out another sigh.

“Do you have any good ideas?”

“Uh, it’s a little awkward to call it an idea, but…”

She scratched her head before continuing.

“If you’re having difficulties choosing, why don’t you just make one yourself, Teach?”

“...”

“Pretty sure from third-year onwards, you have the right to do that.”

Uh.

That’s—

She has a point, huh…?